Friday, July 24, 2015

A Crop Management Field Day is scheduled for Tuesday, August 4, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Lewiston, MN. Highlights include looking at split nitrogen application research plots in corn, hearing about new herbicide options and their effectiveness on problem weeds, and learning about cover crops. In addition, A new best management practice outreach program will be introduced by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture.

The event will be located in a field adjacent to the Lewiston Sales Barn at 21241 Dutchmans Crossing (Map). In the event of inclement weather, the event will be moved to the Green Lodge at Farmer's Park, located along MN-Hwy 14 between Lewiston and Stockton.

There is no charge to attend the field day. Pre-registration is preferred to help with refreshment and grounds planning: Call 507-457-6440 or visit http://z.umn.edu/xjy to register.

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Crop producers and other agricultural professionals can see the latest in variable depth tillage equipment, watch side–by–side field demonstrations by national and regional manufacturers, and learn how to build soil structure for maximum soil productivity at the field day scheduled for Thursday, September 10 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Tillage, Technology and Residue Field Day will be held at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC) in Morris, MN (Map). Other highlights for the field day include the following:

Small grain harvest is underway in parts of southern Minnesota including winter wheat, winter rye, barley, and even spring wheat. The common theme to date is harvest maturity. Many calls and questions are circulating addressing crop dry-down and removal. Most of this concern comes on the back side of strong wind events across the state resulting in significant lodging.

An important group of beneficial insects that help control soybean aphids are tiny parasitic wasps (also known as aphid parasitoids). These wasps do not sting or harm humans, livestock, or any insects besides aphids. The biology of these parasitic wasps is like something out of a science-fiction movie. The female wasps inject their eggs into aphids. The larvae that hatch from the eggs then develop inside of their aphid hosts, eventually killing the aphid, and later emerging as winged adult wasps. Aphids attacked by these parasitic wasps become “mummies,” which are the slightly swollen, brown- or black-colored bodies of the dead aphids. When managing soybean aphid, use of scouting and the economic threshold (250 aphids per plant) will
help reduce insecticide inputs and conserve these aphid-killing wasps.

Cercospora leaf spot (CLS) (Figure 1 A, B) is the most damaging leaf disease of sugarbeet in North Dakota and Minnesota. CLS is caused by the fungus Cercospora beticola which does most damage in warm weather (80 to 90 degree F during the day and over 60 degree F in the night) and in the presence of moisture from rain or dew on the leaves. The fungus destroys the leaves (Figure 2) and thus adversely impacts photosynthesis resulting in reduced tonnage and lower extractable sucrose.

Several different crop diseases have
appeared in corn and soybean fields across Minnesota. Although most are at
minor levels now, diseases are dynamic and it is important to be alert for
these and other diseases that may be developing. More information can be found
at the Minnesota Crop Diseases web site: www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/crop-diseases/